GOP blacks: Fewest at convention in 40 years

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Some African-American Republicans have found the Xcel Energy Center depressing. Everywhere they look, they see evidence of what they consider one of their party's biggest shortcomings.

Only 36 of 2,380 delegates seated on the convention floor are black, the fewest since the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies began tracking diversity at political conventions 40 years ago. \

Each night, the overwhelmingly white audience watches a series of white politicians step to the lectern — a visual reminder that no black Republican has served as a governor, U.S. senator or U.S. House member in the past six years.

"It's hard to look around and not get frustrated," said Michael Steele, a black Republican and former lieutenant governor of Maryland. "You almost have to think, 'Wait. How did it come to this?' "

Nationally, two-thirds of Americans are non-Hispanic whites, 12.4 percent are black and 14.8 percent are Hispanic, according to the Census Bureau's 2006 numbers.

Obama says McCain hiding from economy

NEW PHILADELPHIA, Ohio — Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, pouncing on a top Republican aide's claim that the campaign is not about issues, said Wednesday that John McCain is trying to run away from his party's bad economic record.

Campaigning in eastern Ohio, Obama noted that McCain campaign manager Rick Davis said the election would be decided largely on voters' perceptions of the candidates' personalities.

"This election is not about issues," Davis said this week. "This election is about a composite view of what people take away from these candidates."

Obama mentioned Davis' comment three times at an outdoor forum on economic issues facing women.

Lieberman support: words, not money

WASHINGTON — Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Joe Lieberman may have lined up with Republicans at their convention, but he's still writing six-figure checks to help Democratic Senate candidates.

The Connecticut senator gave $100,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) last month, a sign that he may be trying to hang onto his Senate committee chairmanship. Lieberman also wrote a $15,000 check to the DSCC in March.

Lieberman, 66, is an independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats, giving them a 51-49 majority. But he has angered many Democrats by siding with his longtime pal, presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain.

There's speculation that Democrats could seek payback if they bolster their Senate majority, by stripping Lieberman of his Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee chairmanship.

Protests taper off after 2 days of unrest

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The scene outside the Republican National Convention was much quieter Wednesday.

An anti-war march Monday drew 10,000 people, and an anti-poverty march Tuesday included up to 2,000 people. Nearly 300 have been arrested.

No police were seen Wednesday at an event on the Capitol grounds, staged by 9/11 conspiracy theorists. Only about two dozen people showed up.

ALSO

Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick, a lawyer and former state legislator, will face Republican Sydney Hay, a mining-industry lobbyist, in November to succeed embattled Republican Rep. Rick Renzi in Arizona's 1st Congressional District. Renzi was indicted this year on charges that he engineered a swap of federally owned mining land to benefit himself and a former business partner.

Seattle Times news services